Swiss Chard-Stem Gratin

Before reading the Sunset Edible Garden Cookbook: Fresh Healthy Cooking from the Garden, I mistakenly thought that Swiss chard stems were inedible and unceremoniously chopped them off, fed them to my worms keeping just the tender leaves for us. Thanks to Sunset, I now realize that all the stems needed was a bit of extra cooking time to sweeten and tenderize them. This recipe calls for 2 bunches of chard stems, but use whatever amount you have and adjust the amount of cheese and bread crumbs accordingly. I thought the following recipe (serves 4) was easy and very, very tasty and so did Bruce!

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbsp salt
Stems from 2 bunches Swiss chard, trimmed of discolored ends
1 garlic clove, halved
1 tbsp softened butter plus more for the dish
1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) or softened white bread crumbs (about 1 slice whirled in a blender or food processor)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add salt and chard stems. Boil until stems are tender to the bite, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Rub a shallow, medium baking dish with cut sides of garlic clove halves. Butter dish, then put in chard stems. In a sealable plastic bag, mix bread crums, parmesan and 1 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle misture on stems. Bake until top is browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Serve hot or warm.